Kumar Mess

You can find Kumar Mess at No 32, West Veli Street in Madurai. We are situated near the Edward Hall Complex, which is a busy part of the city. We aren't a big restaurant; we are a mess where people come for a meal that feels like it was made at home. We have long tables where people sit together, even if they don't know each other. The kitchen is right there, and the smell of the cooking fills the whole place by noon. We use stainless steel plates and tumblers, and they make a lot of noise when they are being washed in the back. It’s hot in Madurai, so we have big fans going all the time to keep the air moving. We don't have a menu that changes much; we stick to what we know. The staff is just a few of us who have been doing this for a long time. We start prep work very early, grinding spices and getting the rice ready. It’s a lot of repetitive work, but we take it seriously. People who work in the nearby shops usually come here for their lunch break. It gets very crowded for about two hours every day, and then it goes quiet until the evening. We don't have any signs or fancy lights. People just know where we are on West Veli Street. It’s a humble place, and we like it that way for ourselves and the locals.